Monday, December 21, 2009

My parents report they used to go around the neighbourhood singing Christmas carols (favourite: O Holy Night). I do remember going caroling once with a school friend and her family/church group, but this is not something you really hear of much in modern-day NZ. I also did plenty of traditional carol singing in choirs at school and developed a loathing for Little Drummer Boy reasonably early on in primary school, although on the whole I love Christmas carols and songs (favourite of the the carols: Good King Wenceslas).

Our ancestors were undoubtedly singing their hearts out too - one activity that was festive and free! I know that one of my Wing ancestors, Alfred BAKER, was leader of the Wing band in the late 1800s so there was clearly a musical streak there, and what better way to cheer yourself at Christmastime?

Today my tastes in Christmas music reflect my taste in music generally - a bit of a hodge-podge! My ipod Christmas playlist - I feel very proud of myself for dutifully waiting until 1 December to start listening - has U2 rocking Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) side by side with Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby's duet of White Christmas, Harry Connick Jnr's It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, and Darlene Love's Winter Wonderland. I have a disturbing number of different versions of the latter song! These year I've downloaded some traditional carols, sung a cappella in Welsh. And I am firmly pro Snoopy's Christmas (can't help it) and Do They Know It's Christmas (lame lyrics notwithstanding).